swing
verb/ˈswɪŋ/
Etymology From Middle English swyngen, from Old English swingan, from Proto-West Germanic *swingan, from Proto-Germanic *swinganą (compare Low German swingen, German schwingen, Dutch zwingen, Swedish svinga), from Proto-Indo-European *swenk-, *sweng- (compare Scottish Gaelic seang (“thin”)). Related to swink.
19 senses
- 1To rotate about an off-centre fixed point.
- 2To dance.
- 3To ride on a swing.
- 4To participate in the swinging lifestyle; to participate…
- 5To hang from the gallows; to be punished by hanging…
- 6To move sideways in its trajectory.
- 7(of a bowler) To make the ball move sideways in its trajectory.
- 8To fluctuate or change.
- 9To move (an object) backward and forward; to wave.
- 10To change (a numerical result); especially to change the…
- 11To make (something) work; especially to afford…
- 12To play notes that are in pairs by making the first of…
- 13To move one's arm in a punching motion.
- 14In dancing, to turn around in a small circle with one's…
- 15To admit or turn something for the purpose of shaping…
- 16To put (a door, gate, etc.) on hinges so that it can…
- 17To turn round by action of wind or tide when at anchor.
- 18To turn in a different direction.
- 19To be sexually oriented.
To rotate about an off-centre fixed point.
- The plant swung in the breeze.
- With one accord the tribe swung rapidly toward the frightened cries, and there found Terkoz holding an old female by the hair and beating her unmercifully with his great hands.1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 12, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, June 1914, →OCLC:
2 more examples
- The starliner swung into orbit around the planet Coruscant, and beyond the observation bubble appeared a glittering expanse of a billion golden lights. Through a thousand centuries of strife, those lights continued to shine.2012 February 29, Troy Denning, Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse, Random House, →ISBN, page 3:
- Guardiola swung haymakers in all directions; he presented one of the world’s richest clubs as a noble, put-upon underdog; and he established a siege mentality with such coruscating precision that Football Daily instantly bet the farm on City winning the Premier League this season.2023 February 10, Rob Smyth, “Pep Guardiola comes out swinging haymakers in all directions”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 20 Mar 2023:
To dance.
To ride on a swing.
- The children laughed as they swung.
Lifestyle, Sex, Sexuality To participate in the swinging lifestyle; to participate in wifeswapping.
- We find it difficult to meet couples our age, and often swing with single, straight men. We have rules: no married guys cheating on their wives, no one too young or too old, and no one who supports Trump.2017 October 13, anonymous author, “My life in sex: ‘We have rules for swinging: no one cheating on their wives, no one who supports Trump’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 17 Feb 2018:
- My husband wasn’t so lucky and didn’t get to swing at all so was very disappointed. I’m desperate to do it all again but he’s not so keen.2023 October 26, Eleanor Gordon-Smith, anonymous quotee, “My husband persuaded me to swing. I’m desperate to do it again, he’s not – what should I do?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 16 Dec 2023:
To hang from the gallows; to be punished by hanging, swing for something or someone; (often hyperbolic) to be severely punished.
- “It's all clear,” he whispered. “Have you the chisel and the bags? Great Scott! Jump, Archie, jump, and I'll swing for it!” Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by the collar. The other dived down the hole, and I heard the sound of rending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts.1891, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Red-Headed League:
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Of a ball To move sideways in its trajectory.
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports (of a bowler) To make the ball move sideways in its trajectory.
To fluctuate or change.
- It wasn't long before the crowd's mood swung towards restless irritability.
To move (an object) backward and forward; to wave.
- He swung his sword as hard as he could.
To change (a numerical result); especially to change the outcome of an election.
Slang To make (something) work; especially to afford (something) financially.
- If it’s not too expensive, I think we can swing it.
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music To play notes that are in pairs by making the first of the pair slightly longer than written (augmentation) and the second shorter, resulting in a bouncy, uneven rhythm.
Boxing, Government, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Martial arts, Military, Politics, Sports, War To move one's arm in a punching motion.
In dancing, to turn around in a small circle with one's partner, holding hands or arms.
- "to swing one's partner", or simply "to swing"
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences To admit or turn something for the purpose of shaping it; said of a lathe.
- The lathe can swing a pulley of 12 inches diameter.
Business, Carpentry, Construction, Manufacturing To put (a door, gate, etc.) on hinges so that it can swing or turn.
- A ship swings with the tide.
To turn in a different direction.
- Soon after departure, we cross the invisible border into Scotland to enjoy more stunning coastal scenery, before the line finally swings inland at Burnmouth to traverse pine-clad valleys, shadowed by the A1 trunk road until we rejoin the coast at Cove, east of Dunbar.2022 November 30, Paul Bigland, “Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland”, in RAIL, number 971, page 75:
To be sexually oriented.
- swing both ways
- "The Jumping Place," the second play we did, was directed by the author, and the whole cast of seven was straight. We don't ask when somebody comes here how they swing, only that they commit themselves to the principles of the theatre.1977 February 12, Don Shewey, John Glines, “Theatre Profiles Part II”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 33, page 9:
- Derived terms
37 terms
aswing, at church every time the doors swing open, come out swinging, counterswing, forswing, mis-swing, not enough room to swing a cat, outswing, overswing, swingable, swing at anchor, swing away, swing back, swingbin, swingboat, swing both ways, swingby, swing by, swinger, swing for, swing for the fence, swing for the fences, swing into action, swingle, swing off, swing one's dick around, swing out, swing over, swing round the circle, swing tag, swing that way, swing the lead, swing through, swing-wing, swing wing, swingy, upswing- Coordinate terms
- fry